


The Duke (A Sweeny Todd AU)

by Forever_And_Always_Dreaming



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Baby Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Beating, Blood, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Cannibalistic Thoughts, Character Death, Death, Domestic Fluff, Fights, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gift Giving, Gore, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Hot Chocolate, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Intrusive Thoughts, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Logic | Logan Sanders is Anxiety | Virgil Sanders' Parent, M/M, Memories, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Murder, Murder-Suicide, Nursery Rhyme References, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Rape/Non-con, Physical Abuse, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Razors, Serious Injuries, Slow Dancing, Sweeny Todd AU, Temporary Character Death, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Unsympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Unsympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Unsympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Unsympathetic Sleep | Remy Sanders, but not a lot, kind of, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27792307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forever_And_Always_Dreaming/pseuds/Forever_And_Always_Dreaming
Summary: Request: A Sanders Sides au based on the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. Remus as Sweeney Todd, Janus as Miss Lovett, Unsympaphetic Patton as Judge Turpin, Remy as The Beadle, Roman as Anthony Hope, Virgil as Johanna, Logan as Lucy/the begger, and we get Dr. Emile Picani as Mr. Parelli, and we're have a kid Thomas as Tobi.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 42
Kudos: 36





	1. Visting The Memories Of You, And All We Used To Have

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ILovettAGoodMusical](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ILovettAGoodMusical).



> Please check the tags. This is going to be a murder story, not too graphic but there will be death and all the things that come along with it. Someone also was raped in the past which is mentioned briefly near the end of this chap, and there is a suicide mention as well near it. Please be safe, and let me know if I should add anything else
> 
> The Sweeny Todd AU that I had for a week laying on my notes until I finally picked it up. There should be at least 10 chapters for this but it might get up to 20 so forgive me if updating sucks.

Roman sighs, taking in a breath of salty air as he leans over the railing of a ship. He squints, seeing something in the distance of the fog. 

London. 

He admires it more and more as they grow closer, the city beginning to take shape. Music sounds out, washing over the boat in beautiful rhythms. 

“There’s no place like London.” He murmurs. Remus steps to join his side.

“No place at all.” He agrees somberly. 

“Are you alright?” Roman asks, raising an eyebrow. Remus shrugs.

“You’re young, kid. Life hasn’t been a bitch to you yet. One day, you’ll probably get what I mean.” Roman hums, and the two fall silent for a short moment.

“But doesn’t it take your breath away?” Remus shivers violently, shaking his head.

“I’ve seen every wonder in the world. This horrible city isn’t one of them.” Roman’s eyes widen, wondering why his friend would hate a city as beautiful as this. 

“Sorry, Ro. There’s just too many shadows here.” 

“Shadows?”

“Ghosts.” Roman stares at him questioningly. 

“I heard a barber and his husband used to live here. His husband was the barber’s entire world, his life, his everything. I heard he was pretty hot too.” He laughs sadly before frowning. “And the barber was… naive.” He stares off out into the sea, remembering a better time.

_Remus and Logan walked down the flower market, hand in hand, admiring the colours._

_“Virgie, look at the flowers. Aren’t they pretty?” Their one-year-old, Virgil, giggled from his place on Logan’s hip. Logan smiled, kissing the top of his head._

_“I think they are lovely, Cephy. And it appears Virgil agrees. Why don’t we buy some?” Remus beams, nodding._

“There was another man of the law who saw how handsome the husband was and decided he wanted him for himself. So he kicked the barber out of the city.”

_Unbeknownst to them, Patton Heart watched Logan through the flowers. He stalks the happy family, frowning to himself. He could use a man as handsome as Logan around. All he has to do now is get rid of his husband._

_So he turns to his friend, Remy, and whispers a few words in his ear. The other nods, stepping away to make a phone call. A few minutes later, a few policemen surround Remus._

_“What are you doing? Get off of me!” He screeches, looking at Logan and Virgil desperately. He reaches out a hand, Logan doing the same, but their fingers barely touch as the officers yank Remus back. Logan tries to push forward, but the remaining police stop him._

_Virgil begins to wail, causing Remus's heart to break as he tries to fight to get free. He watches as his family fades from sight._

_Logan shushes Virgil, bouncing him on his hip as he talks to the officers, who say nothing._

_That's when Patton moves in, walking toward Logan and Virgil with a sickening smirk._

“Did the husband fall for that new guy?” Roman asks. Remus blinks, falling back to reality.

“It was a while back, so I don’t know, and I doubt anyone else does either.” A few minutes later, Remus offers him a small smile. “I owe you my life, Roman. If you hadn’t seen me, I’d still be choking on seawater.” He says, picking up his bag.

“Will we meet again?” Roman asks.

“I’ll be around Fleet Street if you need me.” Roman nods as Remus turns and leaves. 

★★★

Remus wanders down the streets, twisting and turning without paying attention. He trusts his body to take him the right way because he grew up here. He knows this place like the back of his hand.

Eventually, he makes it to Fleet Street and spots a pie shop nearby.

He studies the exterior. The shop has a staircase on the outside that leads up to the second-floor room. The whole building seems to have been yellow originally. However, the paint is now peeling, and the sign has a faded J. He snickers to himself at it.

Anus's pie shop is a great name.

He snickers, stepping forward to open the door. 

Behind the dusty counter is a man no more than a year older than him. 

He has a scar going from the left corner of his mouth up to the middle of his left cheek. His right eye is chocolate brown, but the other is cold and yellow with a cat-like pupil. He has Vitiligo as well, and a few burn scars decorate his skin. He’s wearing a black cape, black pants, yellow gloves, and a smirk on his lips as Remus takes him in.

He seems like quite the character.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” Remus obediently does so, sitting at a table. “Have you come in for a pie?” He sighs, going to the back. He takes one of them, blowing the dust off the top of it before handing it to Remus.

“There, would you like some wine with that?” He nods. “These _definitely_ aren’t the worst pies in London, so fair warning,” Janus says, pouring him a glass. Remus raises an eyebrow.

“I’ve eaten worse things, so I should be fine.” He takes a bite but immediately winces at the taste. “You weren’t joking.” He takes another bite anyway.

“I don’t know how you can eat that.” Remus shrugs before chugging his wine. It’s much better than the pie.

“I _shouldn’t_ get you something stronger,” Janus says, crossing over to a parlour, gesturing for him to follow. 

The parlour is black and yellow themed, like the rest of the place. A sofa sits in the corner in front of the fireplace, which is currently cackling.

“It’s not _awful_ in here, but it’s not _wonderful_ either,” Janus notes as he pours a large glass of vodka. “I think it would be better if it didn’t catch fire when the chapel burned down.” He touches a hand to the burned mark on his cheek before handing Remus a glass. 

“Why don’t we sit by the fire? It’s cold outside.” He hums, leading Remus to the couch. 

“If your pies are so bad, why sell them?” Janus hums, shaking his head.

“Wow, why didn’t I think of that, Mr.” He frowns, raising an eyebrow.

“You can call me Duke.” Janus nods.

“In truth, they’re the only thing keeping the bills down.” Remus hums, glancing around again before nodding to the upstairs room.

“Why don’t you rent that room out?” Janus looks up at it, considering it for a moment.

“I wish, but people think it’s haunted.” He says, turning back to look at Remus. His gaze is intense.

“Haunted?” Remus repeats. 

“Years ago something truly fucked up happened there, pardon my language. There were a husband and a handsome barber. But they took the barber away from London.” Remus’s eyes widen.

“What was his crime?” Janus sighs, looking at the fire.

“Foolishness.”

_Logan paces the floor, tears in his eyes as he holds Virgil close to his chest. The poor baby cried himself to sleep an hour before, calling out for his papa._

_Unfortunately, Logan couldn’t ease his worries by getting him. He didn’t even know where Remus was. No one would tell him._

_He grimaces at the floor, blue flower petals around him. Patton Heart, who is at least seventy, has been insistent on gaining Logan’s affections, sending him flowers every day._

_But Logan only married one man, Remus. The owner of his heart, the light of his life next to Virgil. No one can change that._

_However, it doesn’t stop Patton from trying._

_He walks over to the window, looking out to see Patton below with Remy. Patton holds yet another bouquet, smiling eerily up at him and his son. Logan turns away from the window sharply, going back to pacing._

_“Do not worry, Virgil. I will think of a solution to this.” He murmurs, pressing a tender kiss to his son’s head. “I promise.”_

_If only that were true._

“When he was gone, the husband had to deal with this man named Patton Heart. He wanted him like an obsession. Every day he sent a flower, and Logan would cry in his room, refusing to leave.” He sighs heavily. “But the worst was yet to come.”

_Remy leads Logan down a beautiful but eerie street. He shivers, the dress he was ordered to wear barely covering his thighs._

_Remy had informed him that Patton is upset, blaming himself for what happened to Remus. And the only one that can help is Logan._

_So he must go to Patton’s house and talk to him._

“Patton came up with an evil plan to lure Logan to his house with the help of Remy Grande. Remy claimed that Patton was upset, and the only one who could help was Logan. He didn’t want to go, but he feared what would happen if he didn’t.” 

_Remy ushers Logan inside where a ball is taking place._

_Couples in masks twirl around, sinisterly reflected in mirrors that are placed everywhere. The chandelier is draped in red cloth, casting odd lighting to the party. Logan’s eyes widen as he takes in everything._

_He has a horrible feeling about this._

**“** But when he gets to Patton’s house, they’re having a masquerade party. And he gets lost in the crowd until Remy finds him and brings him to Patton.” 

_Logan is lost in the crowd of dancers, struggling to figure a way out. But the mirrors and the constant twirling confuse him, causing him to grow dizzy._

_He needs to get home. He needs to throw up._

_Then, Remy is by his side. He holds out his arm for Logan to take, who happily does. He leads him through the party, bringing him to Patton Heart._

_And there, he raped Logan. The others only watched, laughing and enjoying the disgusting show. It was a nightmare Logan couldn’t escape._

“Patton he.” Janus swallows thickly. “He raped him, and the others only laughed at the scene.”

Remus screams in agony, pulling on his hair as the mental image swarms in his mind. His intrusive thoughts taunt him, worse then ever before.

How could they do that to Logan? His Scorpius, his love? How could anyone do that to anyone? Tears swarm in his eyes as he sinks to his knees on the carpet.

“No, no, no!” He repeats, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“So it is you, Remus Prince.”

“What happened to Logan? What happened to my husband?” Janus looks at the ground.

“He poisoned himself with Arsenic. I tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen. And now that demon of a man has your son.”

“Patton?” Remus asks, eyes wide.

“He adopted Virgil like his own.” Remus shivers, dragging his nails down his arms to claw at him. 

“I spent fifteen fucking years on a charge that wasn’t even true, waiting to come back to my husband, my Scorpius, and my baby boy, my Virgie.” He sobs again, clutching his wedding ring to his chest. 

Janus sighs, walking over to him and places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Life hasn’t been kind to you, Remus, but-” Remus flinches, moving away.

“It’s The Duke now. Remus is a dead man's name.” He stands, moving to pace back and forth. “I need revenge. I need to make them pay.” He finally turns to look down at Janus.

“I need my shop back.”


	2. Oh, How Happier Days Were Spent (And Now Are Only Memories In My Twisted Mind)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus remembers times he spent with Logan and Virgil as Janus and him explore his old apartment. Meanwhile Roman "meets" Virgil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings including parenting, razors (which is a big part of the story), missing loved ones, getting beat up, kidnapping, and I'm not sure what else. Please pay close attention to the tags! This is a very messy fic
> 
> My goodness, this took a lot of energy but it was so worth it. I love how I can change all the old timey words into newer sentences, and I absolutely adore the flashbacks. I'm always a sucker for those in movies, and I'm a sucker for parenting, so have fun with cute parenting flashbacks in the middle of the angst.  
> Also heads up, this story will probably be once every week around Friday. I hope to make it more but the script is awfully long so we'll have to see what happens.

Janus pushes open the door, stepping inside. There are spider webs and dust everywhere. Sheets cover the furniture, and a broken mirror leans against one of the walls. The glass on the floor lays untouched, shining in the fading light of the sun.

“Oh, isn’t this _lovely._ ” Janus groans. “We _won’t_ have to touch it up a bit.” He turns to look back at Remus, who remains frozen on the stairs, looking around cautiously. 

“Do stay there all day, love,” Janus says, but he doesn’t understand how haunting this place is for Remus. 

★★★

_Remus wakes up in the middle of the night to his bed empty. At first, he only blinks, trying to figure out what is wrong. When he realizes, he shoots up out of bed, rushing to the nursery._

_He has to be here. Right?_

_To his relief and joy, he finds both his husband and newborn son curled up together in the rocking chair. The two are relaxed, taken into sleep’s loving arms._

_The tension in Remus’s shoulders falls, allowing him to breathe as he walks over to them. He gingerly picks up Virgil, kissing his forehead softly. The baby stirs, opening his bright purple eyes to stare into Remus's emerald ones. Remus coos at him, lightly bouncing him as he internally pleads with his son not to get upset. To his horror, Virgil's eyes begin filling with tears. Remus's mind goes blank with panic as he rushes to think of what to do._

_"Um, the itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out." Remus begins to sing, low and slow. Virgil stares up at him curiously, eyes wide as he calms. "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again."_

_It takes a few more run-throughs before finally, Virgil's eyes flutter shut._

_Thank god._

_Remus gently lowers him into the crib, sighing in relief when he doesn't wake again. He leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead._

_"Goodnight, little spider." He whispers._

_Logan, however, does wake up at the noises. He opens his eyes to see Remus smiling down at their child before glancing at Logan, eyes lighting up as he sees him awake. Remus walks over, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. Logan sighs, allowing his eyes to close as he leans into the touch._

_“Come on, Scorpius. You can’t sleep here. The chair will kill your back.” Remus whispers. Logan sighs, pulling himself up only to have Remus’s arms wrap around him._

_They sway side to side for a moment, taking everything in. The quiet of the night, their child sleeping peacefully, and the wedding rings on their fingers._

_It’s perfect._

_“I love you, Cephy,” Logan murmurs._

_“I love you too, my Scorpius,” Remus says, pressing a kiss to the top of his head._

★★★

Remus snaps out of his memory to find Janus kneeling on the ground, pulling out a loose floorboard. He takes out something covered in a velvet cloth, removing it carefully to reveal a leather case. He turns towards Remus, dusting it off with a smile. Remus’s eyes widen, crossing over to him.

“I don’t believe it.” He murmurs, stepping into the room. 

“When they came for Virgil, I hid it thinking you would be back one day.” He smirks. “And I was right, of course.” He opens the case gently to reveal a set of razors. Well-loved, of course.

They’re his favorite set.

★★★

_“Open your gift, dear,” Logan says, nodding to the green wrapped gift. Remus grins, pressing a kiss to Logan’s cheek before ripping at the paper._

_Logan smiles at him as he holds their son close. Virgil watches in interest as his father opens a leather case, revealing a set of shiny razors. Logan pulls Virgil closer, keeping him far away from the objects._

_“Now we’ll have to be very careful with where we put those. I never want Virgil hurt, and I’m sure you don’t either. But you needed something to get rid of that awful moustache.” He smirks. Remus gasps in mock offence, causing Virgil to giggle._

_Remus closes the case, setting it on the coffee table before making his way to his family. He peppers both Logan and Virgil in kisses, ticking them with his moustache. They shriek, laughing in delight as they squirm to get away._

_“Don’t like my moustache, huh? It’s my signature look!”_

★★★

Remus raises a hand to his moustache, running his fingers over it.

“Those handles look to be silver.” Janus compliments. Remus nods, still lost in thought as he stares at them. His eyes are still hazy as he picks one up, admiring its shine.

“We’re together at long last, my friends.” He murmurs.

“My duke, am I not your friend too? I can even be more if you want. Anything you need, you can have.” Janus assures. “You can move in right away if you want.” Remus nods, only half paying attention.

“I need to be alone right now.” He says after a moment. Janus nods, quickly leaving the room. 

Remus sighs, getting up and walking over to Virgil’s cradle. He gently pulls off the sheet, a cloud of dust coming off.

He coughs, waving his hand.

★★★

_“What are you doing, Cephy?” Logan asks, keeping his hands over his eyes. Remus leads him through the house carefully, making sure he won't fall. Gently, he guides Logan into the nursery._

_They had done most of the decorating together, but Remus wanted to surprise Logan by painting the crib himself. He stayed up all night assuring it's perfection._

_It was beautiful, swirls of black, navy, and dark purple. Remus crafted it to look like a galaxy, with little ghost cartoons and aliens added around its sides. He hopes his two loves will like it._

_He gently takes his hands off Logan's shoulders as they approach the crib._

_“You can open your eyes now, Scorpius.” Logan does, softly gasping when he sees it._

_“Do you like it?” Remus asks, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Logan nods, a small smile on his face._

_“I love it.”_

_And turns out, so did Virgil, much to their relief._

★★★

"All I wanted was to come home to you and our son. I pictured it so many times. The way you would hold me and how much bigger he would have gotten. Would you have gotten angry, but kissed me anyway?" He laughs, but it comes out as more of a sob. "I hate this _so much_ , but I promise you I _will_ fix this. I'll bring Virgil home, and we'll have our revenge. I promise, my Scorpius." He vows, kissing his wedding ring with a sigh.

★★★

Roman walks down a sidewalk not too far from Patton Heart’s mansion. He pauses, looking down at his map. Where was he heading again? 

As he studies the map, turning it every which way, he hears a beautiful humming sound rings out through the crisp air. 

He looks up to see a man with short purple hair in a black tank top switching up a purple and black jacket. His careful movements and voice entrance Roman, drawing him in like a siren.

“The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out.” The man begins to sing quietly, with a low, slow voice. He pauses for a minute, adjusting something on the jacket before continuing. “Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.” He looks down at Roman, eyes widening. His lips twitch into a slight smile before he’s flinching, looking behind him. Someone else is entering his room, making the man terrified. 

Roman frowns, watching him move away from the window.

“Sir, do you have any coins you can spare?” A voice asks. He looks over to see a man in rags, holding a small cup. Roman’s eyes soften as he drops a coin in. “Thank you.”

“Sir, could you tell me whose house this is?” Roman asks. The other man flinches.

“That’s Patton Heart’s house, the judge.”

“And the man who lives there?” The man sighs.

“Virgil is the boy he’s locked up. But Mr. Heart isn’t friendly. I would be careful if I were you.” 

“But-” He goes to say something else, but the other man’s face is entirely blank as if they hadn’t started talking at all. He backs a bit away as the man calls out to others, asking for spare coins.

Roman looks up at the mansion, seeing a figure in the window watching him. He decides to take a seat on a bench and hum. A few minutes later, the mansion doors swing open.

It’s Patton Heart.

He doesn’t seem like anything the beggar said. He appears so paternal and loving as he gestures for Roman to come inside. 

So he does.

★★★

Patton leads Roman into a library, the lights dark, so it’s hard to make out where everything is. Something feels off about this whole thing. 

“You were looking for Hyde Park, right?” Patton asks, turning around to face him. Roman nods, pulling out his map.

“Yeah, I couldn’t figure it out on the map.”

“Sit down.” Roman takes a seat on a chair awkwardly while Patton pulls out a bottle of wine. As Roman gets comfortable, he notices a man enter the room. He doesn’t introduce himself, making Roman feel uneasy. 

_He needs to get out of here._

“You’re a sailor?” Patton asks, admiring his uniform. 

“Yes, sir, we sailed the Seven Sides. I’m sure you’ve heard of it?” Patton nods, handing him a full glass.

“So you would say you’ve travelled the world, seen all the young men?” Roman nods, confused. “Then why are you after my son?” He slams his glass down on the coffee table. Roman jumps, scrambling to stand.

“I didn’t mean any harm.” He promises, frantic.

“My Virgil wants nothing to do with you, so stay out of our lives. And if I ever see you here again, I will personally see to your death. Got it, kiddo?” Roman’s heart leaps in his throat as Patton nods to the man. 

Remy walks over, grabbing Roman. He drags him through the door and throws him into the alley. Roman gets up, offended.

“Hyde Park is down that way, to the right, to the left, then straight, babes. See?” Roman turns to look, and as he does, Remy slams into his back with a baton. Roman falls over before being attacked in the back of his neck. Remy shifts Roman over so he’s lying on his stomach before pressing a foot into his neck.

“You heard Pat. If I see you here again, I’ll do a lot worse than this. So do what’s best for your safety, and get lost.” With that, he turns back into the mansion and slams the door shut. Roman winces at the noise, slowly bringing himself to his knees. He spits blood into the alley, shaking slightly.

“I’ll save you, Virgil.” He promises before pulling himself up and stumbling down the alley.

When he gets out, stepping into the sunlight, he bravely looks up at Virgil’s window.

But the man is gone.


	3. The Competition Whose Reward Holds Five Pounds (And Endless Fame)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus participates in a competition against Dr. Emile Picani

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the tags for trigger warnings, but I don't think there's many in this chapter besides a razor mention
> 
> Sorry, this one's a bit shorter then I would have liked it to be, but I wanted it in on time.

Janus tries his best to keep up as he and Remus make their way down the sidewalk. In his hands, he carries a shopping basket, while Remus carries his razor case.

“Are you sure he shows up every Thursday?” 

“Of course, would I ever lie to you, dearest?” Remus ignores Janus’s comment as they turn a corner into the marketplace. It’s busy, as it is rush hour, but they manage to navigate the crowds. It takes them a few minutes to find the sign.

“Emile Picani - Hairdresser to His Royal Majesty the King of Naples.”

“Do you think you can pull this off?” Janus asks, chewing on his lip.

“Of course.” Remus stops as he spots Remy not too far away from them. He clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white with anger. 

_Make him bleed for what he did to your family._

Janus follows his gaze, frowning at the other man. His hand slips down to take one of Remus’s in his own, squeezing it gently.

“You’re totally not acting suspicious, dear. He won’t have any reason to question you at all.” He murmurs sharply, a hiss to his words. Remus scowls, going to say something before a young boy steps out of Emile’s caravan.

The boy looks far too pale and small for his age. He seems to be at least thirteen, but from how malnourished he is, he could pass for ten. He bangs on a small drum, drawing the attention of potential customers.

“Do you find your hair thin, short, or even balding? Do you wish there was a way to fix this? Well, there is! Dr. Picani’s therapeutic lotion helps all kinds of hair problems take it from me.” He takes off his hat to reveal long flowing hair. 

Customers rush over, buying bottles off of him within seconds. Remus opens a bottle and grimaces at the awful smell coming from it. He grins at Janus, an idea already coming on.

“Do you smell that?” He asks, purposely making his voice louder. Janus scrunches his nose, nodding.

“It smells horrible.” He says, taking a sniff of his bottle rather dramatically. The other customers move to do the same, but Remus steps forward to distract them.

“Hey kid, why does this smell like piss?” He asks. Thomas pales, shaking his head.

“It doesn’t. It smells great. Trust me, just take it home, and try it yourself. It does wonders, I promise.” Janus twists his lips into a frown.

“I believe my cousin bought a bottle off of you guys once. He said it burned his hair right through.” The crowd murmurs, trying to figure out who to believe, when the curtains open. Dr. Picani frowns at them, crossing his arms.

“My product does no such thing. Whose making these horrible claims?” Remus steps forward boldly.

“I am. Admit it, this is nothing but piss and dye. And I would know, I’m a barber myself.” He snaps open the case in his hands, showing the crowd his set of razors. “In fact, I bet five pounds that I’m better than you at this.” The crowd’s whispering turns to a dull roar as their excitement grows. Dr. Emile studies the razors for a moment before turning to the crowd with a smile.

“I accept your challenge.” Remus nods.

“Alright, now who wants a shave?” Two men step forward, taking seats in the chairs Thomas brings out. Remus grins sharply, then meets Remy’s gaze. This is a risky part of his plan, but Remus is never one to back down challenges.

“Will Remy Brew be our judge?” Janus shoots Remus an alarmed look, but the other only keeps his eyes locked on Remy, who steps forward. Janus shifts anxiously, worried that Remy will recognize the Duke, but instead, he stops in front of him.

“Of course, babes, it’d be my pleasure.” He turns to the crowd. “Let’s get this challenge started.”

Dr. Picani takes out a barber’s cape to cover the other man. Remus only takes a towel, tucking it around his man’s neck.

“The quickest, closest shave is the winner,” Remy says before blowing a whistle. 

The two men sharpen their razors for a moment before Emile begins to make a lather. Remus only watches, not bothered to do anything about his own work. Janus rolls his eyes, praying that Remus will get on with it. 

As soon as Emile makes his first cut, Remus springs into action. He quickly lathers his man’s face, does a quick but well-done shave, and calls Remy over. Emile stares in shock.

“The winner is…” He frowns, looking at the other. 

“Duke, call me the Duke,” Remus says, turning away.

“The Duke.” The crowd cheers. Dr. Picani grins, walking over to him. 

“You were a good match.” He says.

“Five pounds.” Dr. Picani nods, taking out his wallet before handing Remus the note. 

Then he promptly turns around, gesturing for Thomas to follow him. When the boy doesn’t move immediately, Emile grabs his wrist, hard enough to bruise, and drags him away. Janus frowns, watching the two walk off.

“Duke, sir, do you have your own store?” A customer asks. Janus grins, making his way over.

“He does, The Duke’s Tonsorial Parlor, right above mine.” The customer grins, thanking them, before disappearing into the crowd. Remus then turns to Remy.

“Thanks for your judgement, sir.” Remy shakes his head.

“It’s no problem, babes. And you said your shop was above Dee’s. Right? I’ll check it out sometime this week.” He promises. Remus grins.

“No problem at all, you won’t even pay a penny for it, I promise.” 

★★★

Janus and Remus make their way back to the shop, slower then their pace before. The sun sets behind them, painting the sky in a swirl full of pinks and blues. 

“My heart _totally_ wasn’t pounding out of my chest when Remy looked at you. I definitely didn’t think he’d recognize you at all.” Janus lies, shaking his head. Remus isn’t paying attention as he continues to ramble. “I feel bad for that kid, Thomas, you know? I wish we could have- my Duke, are you listening?” Remus blinks, stumbling out of his thoughts.

“Of course.” He replies. 

And with that, they continue down the road.


	4. Hope For A Brighter Future For The Caged Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Virgil work on getting Virgil out of Patton's house, while Remus and Janus find their first victim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings include everything in the tags as well as wanting to be free, I suppose. But yes, please please check the tags before reading. This book is very triggering for some people, so stay safe. And as always, let me know if I need to include any other tags or trigger warnings. 
> 
> I'm so sorry that this is late, but there was a lot of family stuff happening last night. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter though!

Virgil huffs, angrily wiping away the tears that threaten to spill down his cheeks. He refuses to show weakness, to allow Patton to believe he’s won because he hasn’t. Virgil has been a storm since the day he was born, and he refuses to be anything less than that. He will get out of here. He will escape. He will be free. 

And then? Virgil will finally feel the sunlight grace his skin or touch a snowflake on his tongue or even feel the rain dripping down his cheeks like happy tears from the heavens above. He’ll do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. 

And the world won’t be outside, waiting for him to experience it anymore. Virgil will be out there, doing whatever the hell he fucking wants to.

He’s always felt like this, but it’s only gotten stronger since Roman attempted to save him. Since then, Patton’s been keeping him on a shorter leash. He’s kept the doors locked, made social interaction minimal, and even has a hole in the wallpaper that allows him to watch Virgil at all times of the day. 

It’s fucking disgusting and horrible, and so very cruel. But it won’t be long until that leash finally snaps. Virgil can feel it. 

He glances out the window for the fifth time that day, and finally, Roman is there. He’s staring up at the mansion, eyebrows furrowed in thought. Virgil grins, producing a key from his pocket. He’s been waiting for this. 

He walks over, and as casual as anything, drops the key through the shutters. Now he has to wait. But it will be fine. He trusts Roman. This will all be over soon. 

He knows it.

Roman’s eyes widen as something falls from Virgil’s window, metal clanging against the pavement. He rushes over to find a small skeleton shaped key waiting for him. He picks it up, shooting the window a grateful smile, before rushing off before Patton or Remy finds him.

★★★

Remus sighs, pacing back and forth as Janus talks about something or over. The parlor has been cleaned, but it’s still tattered and small. There’s a weak parlor chair in the center, and not too far from it is a large chest. A few shelves lined the wall with supplies, and his razors, freshly shined.

“Remy said he’d come this week. So why isn’t he here yet?” He asks. Janus shrugs.

“Oh of course, because Tuesday is  _ definitely _ the end of the week. Relax, dear. He’ll be here soon.” Remus doesn’t answer as he sits down in the chair, picking up his largest razor.

“What about the old bitch? When we will get to him?” Janus rolls his eyes from behind Remus, before stepping closer to him.

“Yes, we should  _ totally _ only ever think of the past. Even though it’s been at least a century since that happened.” He huffs. “Let’s just wait and see what happened. Okay?” He dares to place a hand on Remus’s shoulder, massaging it gently. And for a moment, he seems to relax, but then the doorbell rings from downstairs. Remus bolts up, walking over to the door. Janus follows quickly behind him. Footsteps pound on the stairs before Roman throws open the door, breathless.

“Duke! Oh my god, thank god I found you. Oh.” He pauses, looking over at Janus. “Sorry, my name is Roman Prince. I’m a friend of the Duke.” Janus offers him a smile.

“You can call me Dee.” 

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Dee.” Roman turns back to Remus. “There’s a damsel in distress locked away in his room. Well, he’s not exactly a damsel, is he? Can damsels be boys as well, or is there another word for it? Then if there is, what's the nonbinary word for it? I’m not sure. But he’s so handsome, god, I wish I could write to him the most beautiful of poetry and-”

“Roman, breathe.” Remus reminds him. He nods, taking a breath before rambling again.

“But today, he gave me this key. It must be a sign that Virgil wants me to help him. That’s his name, Virgil.” Remus and Janus exchange glances. “His guardian, Patton, is so fucked. I only went to visit Virgil, and he sent his goon, Remy, I think his name is, to throw me out. 

“As soon as the house is empty, I’m going to break in and ask Virgil to come with me. Tonight. Hopefully, because I think something is happening in town, but yeah. 

“The only thing is, I don’t know anyone in London, so I need somewhere safe to bring him until I can get a taxi to take us to Plymouth. If I could keep him here for just an hour or two, I would be forever in your debt.” Remus freezes, trying to process everything. Janus, smooth as ever, takes over.

“Well, you  _ definitely _ can’t do that. We would  _ love _ to see that poor boy suffer.” Roman raises an eyebrow but catches on that it’s sarcasm after a moment.

“Thank you.” He turns to Remus. “Duke?” 

“Yeah, he can come,” Remus replies, snapping out of his trance. Roman beams.

“Thank you.” He leaves the room, shutting the door gently behind him. Janus grins, but it comes out as more of a smirk.

“See?” Remus grunts unhappily. “What is it, love? You’ll get to see Virgil again.”

“For an hour or two before Roman takes him off to the other side of England.” Janus shakes his head.

“You can just.” He drags a finger across his throat. “Kill him, or invite him to stay here.” Remus bites his lip. “I’m glad someone’s getting him out, though. The poor thing has probably never felt parental love before.”

★★★

_ Logan watches fondly as Remus tosses their son up in the air before catching him again. He shakes his head, walking over to plant a kiss on Remus’s cheek and then Virgil’s. Their son giggles, a bright smile taking over his features. _

_ “I never thought I would feel so much for one little boy. But he’s my everything, Remus. If anything happened to him, I don’t know what I would do.” Logan shakes his head, pressing another kiss to Virgil’s hair. Remus watches them, a protective feeling coursing through him. _

_ “Nothing will ever happen to either of you. I promise.” He vows. Logan gives him a sad smile, because Remus can’t truly promise him that, but nods anyway, taking their son in his own arms. _

_ “I love you both.” He coos softly instead of answering. Remus’s heart skips a beat as he moves to press a kiss to each of their foreheads. _

_ “I love you both too. So much.” He whispers. _

★★★

Remus shivers, coming back to reality. Virgil had all the parental love he could ever ask for when he was with him and his darling. It was Patton’s fault that it was taken away from him. 

He stands up abruptly, walking over to the window, so Janus won’t see the tears shining in his eyes. That’s when he spots Emile with Thomas, walking towards their shop.

“What are they doing here?” He asks. Janus hums, walking over to stand beside him.

“Well someone  _ definitely _ looks pleased.” He notes.

“Go downstairs. Keep the kid with you.” 

Janus nods, rushing down the stairs two at a time. He makes it to the bottom of the stairs just as the two are about to go up.

“Is the Duke home?” Emile asks. Janus nods, fixing the hat on his head.

“Of course not. We keep the open sign up for fun." He rolls his eyes. "Remus is upstairs.” Janus then looks over at Thomas. 

“My God, kid. You look _definitely_ _don’t_ look like you could use a break.” He turns back to look at Emile. “You wouldn’t hate me for giving him a pie, would you?” Emile grins falsely, shaking his head.

“Of course not.” He says before moving to go up the stairs. Janus grins, taking Thomas’s hand, leading him to the pie shop. 

★★★

“Duke,” Emile says to Remus as the other stands by the chair, arms crossed.

“Picani.” Emile shrugs.

“Call me Emile, sir. Now, I hope you wouldn’t mind giving me my five back.” Remus raises an eyebrow.

“And why would I do that? We had a fair deal.” Emile rolls his eyes, his fake grin dropping into a real scowl.

“Otherwise, I might have to tell everyone who you really are. And you wouldn’t want that, would you, Remus?” Remus freezes.


	5. The First Drop Of Blood Spilled (With Much More To Come)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus kills his first victim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings include death, razors, etc. Please check the tags. If I should add anything, let me know in the comments!
> 
> I suck at uploading on time-- sorry about last update but it was Christmas and there was a lot going on. And by the time I got time, I had another story to update that I had no inspiration for, and then Monday came around so three chapters were due and I decided fuck it, I'm just going to leave it till the next time. But anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter despite that, and I hope you enjoyed/are enjoying your holidays!  
> Also I know Thomas's character is supposed to drink alcohol in the story and it makes sense because at that time that the story is set in, kids probably could. However, my story isn't written in that time. So I chose to make him drink hot chocolate instead because minors couldn't drink. Maybe if it was crucial to the story in some elaborate way somehow, but not when it's a minor detail like this. So yeah, enjoy

Janus hands Thomas a pie, who practically swallows it down, hungry even after seconds. As he's eating, Janus pays attention to the muffled voices and footsteps coming from upstairs. He glances back at Thomas, who hasn't bothered to wonder about the noises.

"My goodness, you have an enormous appetite. You remind me of my late husband that way. He didn't have all your hair, though." Thomas hums, looking up at the other.

"To tell you the truth." He pulls off his wig, revealing much shorter hair. "It gets awfully hot."

"You wouldn't remember me. I was only hired by you for a few weeks to do simple clean up." Emile says, picking up one of Remus's razors to admire it. "But I remember these. And you, of course, Remus. You were somewhat of an inspiration for me.” Remus glares at him. 

“So, do we have a deal, or should I call my good friend Remy to handle the situation?” He grins. In a flash, Remus lunges forward and grabs him by the neck. 

Janus overhears the struggle and quickly rushes over to the faucet to create noise. Once the water is on full blast, he brings out a vacuum and begins to clean the floors. 

“It’s filthy in here.” He comments, despite the room being perfectly clean. “How did you end up with Mr. Picani anyway?” Thomas shrugs, taking another bite.

“He bought me from the workhouse. I was an orphan, so it was an easy trade.” Janus frowns, about to say something when Thomas's eyes widen. “Oh, no. He has an appointment with a tailor-” He says, before rushing out of his seat. 

Janus tries to grab his sleeve, but it’s too late.

“Dr. Picani, you have an appointment-“ Thomas says, stopping when he realizes Emile is nowhere to be found. Remus stands in the center of the room, his arms folded against his chest. 

"He just left. If you hurry, you could catch him." Remus lies. Thomas shakes his head.

"No, sir. I can't. If he founds out I didn't wait for him, he'll beat me." He moves past Remus to take a seat on the large chest. Not too far from where he's sitting, three fingers poke out, twitching slightly. Thomas doesn't notice it, but Remus does.

"So Janus gave you a pie?" He decides to ask, smiling nervously. Thomas nods.

"He's quite kind." Emile's fingers twitch, reaching for Thomas. Thankfully, they can't quite touch him from the angle and distance they're at.

"Yeah, he is," Remus murmurs, eyes narrowing on the hand. "Hey, kid, how about you head downstairs and have some more? You can wait for Emile there.” Thomas shakes his head as the fingers move ever closer. 

“I should stay here.” 

_ Fuck. Think Remus, think. What would catch a kid’s attention?  _

“Oh, you know what? I think we have some hot chocolate downstairs. Would you like some of that before he returns?” Thomas’s eyes lit up. 

“Do you have marshmallows?” Remus nods, and with a flash, Thomas is rushing downstairs again. Remus lets out a breath of relief before picking up a razor and walking towards the trunk. 

This would be fun. 

★★★

“Remy, come take a walk with me. I have good news.” Patton says, waving him over. The other quickly falls into step with him as they walk down the street. 

“What’s the news, babes?” Patton grins, excited.

“To help protect Virgil, I’ve decided to marry him." 

“Oh? That sounds great.” 

“There’s only one problem. When I told him, he was very closed off." He sighs, pushing his glasses up. “Teenagers. They’re always so moody.” Remy nods sympathetically.

“You know what might help? A good shave.” Patton raises an eyebrow, running a hand against his chin.

“Really?” Remy nods.

"Of course. Virgil will be begging you to marry him by the time you're done. And I know just the place that can help."

★★★

Janus pours Thomas another cup of hot chocolate, sighing heavily as the boy chugs it down. While he goes back to eating another pie, Janus looks up at the ceiling wondering what's going on up there. 

"You seem to really enjoy your hot chocolate, my dear." He says after a moment, turning to look at Thomas. The boy shrugs, taking a long sip of his drink.

"We barely had it in the workhouse. It was a special treat, only reserved for the best kids on holidays. We didn’t want it much anyway. It made us tired, and if you were smart, you would know staying up awake is safer than falling asleep in that place.” 

Janus frowns, reaching forward to tenderly tuck a lock of hair behind his ear. Thomas leans into the touch as if he never received anything like it before. 

And honestly? Janus wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t. The poor kid had a tough life.

“Well, you can have all the hot chocolate you want here, dear. You’re the best kid we could ever have the pleasure of meeting.” Thomas beams.

“Really?” Janus nods, a small smirk on his face.

“Now, how about you have some more while I check on Duke?”

Thomas nods and gets started on doing just that.

★★★

“Goodness, that kid really likes his hot chocolate. Emile better return before we run out.” Janus comments with a grin as he enters the room. Remus looks up from where he’s cleaning his razor.

“He’s not coming back.” Janus’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. 

"What do you mean-" His eyes widen in horror. "You didn't-" Remus nods over to the chest before going back to cleaning. Janus’s face grows pale as he rushes over, lifting the lid to reveal Emile’s body lying inside. He spins on his heel to face Remus.

“You can't kill people just because you feel like it!" 

“He knew me from before and tried to blackmail me into sharing money.” Janus blinks, processing the information for a moment, before sighing in relief.

“That’s fine then.” He looks back down at the body, an idea beginning to form. He reaches in, and pulls out the man’s wallet, then closes the lid again. “This will do us a while.” He murmurs, smirking as he shuffles through the money.

“Oh, what about Thomas? What are we telling him?” He asks. The other grins, sharp and dangerous, unlike his usual goofy smirk.

“Send him up.” Janus turns to look at him.

“We don’t need to-”

“Send him up.” Remus repeats, running a hand over the edge of the blade. Janus crosses his arms, sending him a dark look.

"You will not be killing him because I plan to have him help around the shop. We need him alive. Do I make myself clear?” Remus sighs, turning to look out the window.

“Fine."

“We’ll have to start stocking up on cocoa powder, though. I think-” Remus cuts Janus off with a sharp gasp.

“Patton.” 

Janus walks over quickly, staring down at the forms of both Remy and Patton. They’re approaching the building, talking to each other in hushed tones. Then Remy walks away as Patton enters.

“Justice…” Remus murmurs, his hands tightening around his razor. Janus hums, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“I  _ won’t  _ be back in a moment with our new guest, love.” He says before rushing downstairs. When the door slams shut, Remus turns away from the window. Now that he has him, he doesn't know how to feel. 

Will killing him truly avenge his lover? And if so, how should we kill him?

_ Boil him in a deep fryer, watch as he screams in horror. _

_ Tie him up, then carve pieces of him off to eat. _

_ Cut him open, and tear out each organ one by one.  _

_ Make him feel the way Logan did. _

_ Make him feel worse. _

_ Make him suffer. _

He sighs, trying to figure out how to best go about this. The steps coming up the stairs trigger his flight or fight instincts, so he rushes over to the door. But then, he takes a few steps back, deciding he should savour this.

And it’s at that moment when Patton walks in.


	6. I Could Just Eat You Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Patton meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings include punching, talks about murder, cannibalism, intrusive thoughts, and a brief mention of gender dysphoria. Please check the actual tags, and let me know if I should add anything else 
> 
> Me? Getting a chapter done on time? Impossible. Also the song Epiphany is finally here, and honestly it's such a cool song. I'm glad I managed to work it into the script, because most songs I don't like to, but this fits really well. I hope you enjoy!

“Mr.Duke?” Remus smirks, taking in the sight of his guest. 

“At your service.” He says, bowing mockingly. 

_Let’s just stab him here and now._

“Remy tells me you are an excellent barber!” Patton giggles, taking a seat in the chair. Remus nods, going to grab a cloak.

_No. It’ll be worth it to wait._

“That’s very kind of him.” He says, tying it around his neck. “Now, what can I do for you today? A trim?” Patton shrugs.

“I need something that will make me sexually desirable for a certain boy I have my eyes on.” 

“Is that so?” Remus asks, trying not to stay calm.

_It would be so easy. So easy. He’s right here. Let's do it._

“Indeed. But first, I’ll have a shave.” Remus nods, taking out his largest razor. His favourite. The same one he always used to cut Logan’s hair with. 

★★★

_“Cephy, please be careful.” Logan reminds him but stays still as Remus brings out a razor collection. They aren't the ones he has today, except for the largest one, which he decided to keep, because Logan liked it._

_“I’d never hurt you, love,” Remus assures, kissing his forehead before gently taking Logan’s jaw in his hands._

_“I know that, dearest. I was only reminding you.” Logan says, leaning into the touch. Remus smiles, making sure to be extra careful. Logan is the most precious person to him. Well, and their child, of course._

_“I think the morning sickness is getting better,” Remus comments as he works. Logan nods, resting a hand protectively on his stomach._

_The whole pregnancy has been a nightmare of dysphoria and stress. Their baby certainly not planned. And it was hard a lot of the time to keep going. But they both love their child with everything they have, and they wouldn't trade them for the world._

_“I hope so. They’ve been a true devil with that.” Logan murmurs, fondness aching in his voice. Remus giggles, pressing a kiss to his nose._

_“They’re definitely my kid, then.” Logan grins, shaking his head._

_“Of course. I only love you, cephy.”_

_“And I, you, Scorpius.”_

★★★

“The closest I ever gave,” Remus murmurs, half lost in thought, a small smile on his lips.

“You seem to be in a good mood today, sir,” Patton notes. Remus shrugs, making the lather.

“I guess it must be your mood causing mine.” Patton nods.

“Love is the best mood of all.” Remus hums, walking back over to lather his face. 

“That is true.” 

“Have you ever been in love, sir?” Patton asks, closing his eyes. 

“Once. A long time ago.” Remus says, trying not to lose himself in thought.

“It’s quite a beautiful thing. Say, if we get married because of your shave, I’ll make sure to give credit to you.” 

“If you don’t mind me asking, who do you want to marry?” Patton hums, a small smile on his face. 

“My ward.” 

_Kill the pedophile, please. Let his blood spill on our fingers. We’ll paint the room red and get Virgie back._

“He’s as pretty as a rose.” He goes on. Remus bites his lip, clenching his fists.

“Pretty as his father?” He asks.

★★★ 

_“He looks so much like you, Lo.” Logan hums, brushing a curl out of Virgil’s eyes._

_“He has your nose, dear.” Remus shrugs._

_“Yeah, but he has your jaw, your eyes, and your hair colour.” Logan presses a kiss to their son's forehead. The boy smiles gently in his sleep, moving further into Logan's arms._

_“And your curls,” Logan notes._

_“He’s perfect,” Remus whispers, moving his hand to gently stroke Virgil’s cheek._

_“Of course, Cephy. He’s ours.”_

★★★

“Pardon?” Patton asks, opening his eyes. Remus shakes his head.

“Nothing.” Patton nods, satisfied, and closes his eyes. Remus grins, taking his razor and moves his arm in an arc, about to slash his neck when the door bursts open.

“Duke, I just met with Virgil. He said he would leave with me tonight!” Roman announces. Remus drops the razor, and Patton gets out of his chair.

“Virgil leave with you? Never. I’ll lock him up before you can get the chance and make sure you never see him again.” He then turns to Remus. “And as for you. I’m never coming back here.” He then marches out the door. 

Remus stands, frozen. He had him. He had him in his hands and was ready to kill him. But Roman ruined it. 

“Duke, I’ve talked to Virgil and-” Remus glares at him.

“Get out.” 

“What?” Remus slams his hands down on the arm of the chair, causing Roman to flinch and stumble back.

“Get out!” He screams.

And so Roman does, rushing down the stairs in a hurry. 

“What happened? What’s going on?” Janus asks, throwing open the door in a few seconds. Remus shakes, angry tears burning in his eyes.

“I had him. He was right there. And then-” 

“Roman came in. I know I-”

“I had him! He was right there!” Remus repeats, hysterical, as he stares down at the carpet. Janus cautiously takes a step forward.

“It’s alright, love. We’ll be able to get him again.”

“When?” 

“What’s your rush?” Remus drags a hand through his hair angrily.

“You told me to wait. If I hadn’t, I could have-” Remus clenches his fists before looking up into Janus’s eyes. “They all deserve to die. Everyone does.” He lurches forward, grabbing Janus tightly.

“Even you and I. It would be a blessing! And the rest, they just deserve it.” Janus sighs, gently cupping his cheek. Remus lets out a wail of pure agony as he clings to the other. 

“I’ll never see Virgil again. I won’t be able to hug him or brush away one of his curls.” He spins Janus away from him, who allows him to. “And now, my Scorpius won’t be able to get his revenge.” He falls to his knees, shaking.

“Yes, that’s lovely, dear. But what do we do about the body?” Janus asks, walking over to him. Remus says nothing, staring down at the floor. Janus rolls his eyes, tugging on his ear. “Get a hold of yourself!”

“Oh my good lord, come with me.” 

And with that, he drags Remus downstairs to the pie shop. 

He sits Remus down on a chair before glancing around for Thomas. He leaves the pie shop to find him asleep on the sofa, the fireplace crackling nearby. He smiles, walking over, and pressing a gentle kiss to his head. 

Then, he moves over to the wine rack and takes out a bottle of gin. He walks back over to the pie shop and pours Remus a glass. 

“Drink it all before you speak.” Remus does so, chugging the drink. “There, now we have a body upstairs that will start to smell soon. What are we going to do about it?” Remus hums. 

“When it’s dark, I’ll take him to a secret place and bury him.” Janus licks his lips, nodding. 

“As much as that is a brilliant idea, despite everyone being able to catch you at any moment, I have a better idea.” 

“You do?” Janus shrugs. 

“It just seems a downright shame.” 

“Shame?” Remus repeats. Janus grins. 

“Seems an awful waste. He has such a nice plump frame. We have debts to be erased, and I’m sure he won’t be traced. If you get my drift…” He trails off, looking at Remus expectantly. The other blinks back, confused. 

“No?” Janus sighs. 

“Seems an awful waste. I mean, with the price of meat the way it is. When you get it if you get it.” Remus’s eyes widen. 

“Oh!” He says, realizing what he means now. Janus nods. 

“Good, you got it.” He nods to the window at a shop across the street. 

“Take, for instance, Elliot’s pie shop. Business never better, using only cats and toast. And a cats only good for maybe six or seven at the most.” He grins, turning back to Remus. “And I’m sure they can’t compare as far as taste-“

“Janus, that’s a brilliant idea!” He shakes his head. “How I’ve lived without you all these years, I’ll never know! How delectable! And undetectable…” He smirks. 

“Well, it does seem an awful waste. It’s an idea. Think about it. Lots of other gentlemen will soon be coming for a shave.” Janus shrugs, taking a swig from the bottle of gin. 

“So many pies,” Remus murmurs, getting out of his seat. He takes Janus’s hand, allows him to put the bottle down, then spins him. The other laughs, allowing them to fall into a dance. 

“For what’s the sound of the world out there?” Janus smiles. 

“What is that sound, Duke?”

“Those crunching noises pervading the air?” 

“Yes, all around-“ 

“It’s man devouring man.” They share a laugh. “And who are we to deny it in here?”

“Think of all the flavours like florist and baker,” Janus notes. “Save a lot of graves, do a lot of relatives favours.” 

“And the best flavour of all will be Judge.” Janus gulps. 

“Of course, my love.” 

“We’ll take the customers that we can get. Serve anyone.” 

“And to anyone at all.” Janus finishes. 

They share a smile before Remus walks away to drag the body downstairs. Janus stares wistfully after him, excited and intrigued. 

And Thomas lays on the couch, completely unaware. 

★★★

Virgil sighs, taking clothes from his drawer and putting them in his case. He has to hurry before Patton comes back. Otherwise, he’ll be dead. 

A harsh knock interrupts his thoughts. Virgil tenses as the doors slam open. 

“So it's true,” Patton says. Virgil flinches, dropping a shirt on the ground. 

“I told myself the sailor was lying. I was sure my dear Virgil would never betray me.” His eyes are filled with hurt as if he had actually believed Virgil loved him. Quickly, he crosses over, grabbing Virgil’s jaw in his hands. 

Virgil scoffs, crossing his arms. He’s terrified, but he will not show it. Not now, not ever. He’s a storm to be wreckin with.

“I’m leaving.” He says, wrenching Patton’s hand off of him. The other grins, sick and twisted. 

“Of course. You aren’t happy here, so we’ll be sure to find you a better home. You have broken my heart, my love. And so you will learn punishment.” 

Remy walks into the room, staring down Virgil from the doorway. He gulps, eyes widening slightly with fear. 

“When you learn to be a better person, maybe you can come back. But for now, you’ll have to think about your sins, my dear.” Patton says, before turning, and nodding at Remy. He surges forward, grabbing Virgil. He screams, kicking, lashing out, even biting, but it’s no use. Remy covers his mouth with one of his hands and drags him out. 

★★★

Roman rushes towards the mansion when he sees a cab pulling away. Virgil’s terrified face pressed against the window. 

“Virgil!” He calls. He watches as Remy grabs him, pulling him from the window as it rolls away. 

Patton stands on the steps of the house, wiping away crocodile tears. Roman stalks towards him with murderous rage, his hands balled up into fists.

“Where are you taking him?” He asks, grabbing him by the collar. Patton doesn’t flinch. Instead, he giggles, shaking his head. “Tell me or I swear to god-“ 

“Would you kill me? Right here and now? I don’t think so.” Patton grins. Roman moves his fist back and sock him in the jaw. Then, he stands on his throat, pressing down harshly. 

“You don’t deserve to live.” He growls out. But eventually, he calms down and let's go. “However, I am no murderer. You’re lucky this time. You won’t be the next.” Patton nods, a shit-eating smile on his face. 

But Roman doesn't have time for this. He has to save Virgil.

So with one last glare, he takes off, running after the cab. 


	7. To Have You In My Arms Again (Would Be A Blessing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman is trying to find Virgil, Remus is thinking about the past, Janus has reinvented himself and the shop, and Thomas has a bad feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings include death, murder, unknowing cannibalism, and bitter-sweet memories
> 
> The amount of POV changes in this is absolutely insane, and I cut a lot of them out. Hope you enjoy though. We're getting near the end, now.

The beggar man watches as people from all across town walk the same way, to the same place. He decides to follow them, watching as they enter a shop. Newly decorated and furnished. 

On top of the store is a large sign that reads, “Janus’s world-famous meat pies!” Then in small letters below it, “like mother used to make.” It’s newly painted, same with the rest of the building. There are also benches outside now, full of people laughing and eating.

The beggar man sighs, hunger burning in his gut. He’s about to go inside when Thomas bursts out of the shop, a wide grin on his face.

“Guys, gals, and nonbinary pals. May I have your attention, please? That smell you’re smelling is none other than the best meat pies in the world.” He grins. “So don’t be shy, come inside, and have some pie!” 

At that moment, Janus comes out, holding a tray of fresh, steaming pies. Like his shop, he’s been transformed as well. A new cape, longer than before. The same hat, but a new outfit. 

“Thomas!” He calls. He grins, giving him a side hug before rushing around, doing work. More and more people come into the shop, to which Janus greats them all with a false smile. It seems the only genuineness he has is saved for Thomas and Remus. Although no one else can tell.

“Good morning. Nice to see you. How are you?” He asks, different customers responding in different ways as they take seats. Janus’s false look turns dark, though, when he spots the beggar man.

“Thomas, would you be a dear and show him out?” Thomas frowns, confused, but does as told anyway. However, the beggar man only comes back a few minutes later. Something draws him to this place, but he hasn’t remembered a thing in years. So he has no clue what it could be.

“Is the Duke still working?” Thomas asks after ten minutes. Janus nods, ruffling his hair.

“Yep, he’s quite busy today.” He says, before pouring someone a drink.

“Goodness, your pies are delicious. What’s your secret, dear?” A woman asks. Janus shrugs, offering a smile.

“Oh, it’s an old family recipe. It includes a lot of herbs and such. I’m glad you like it.”

While Thomas and Janus work, Remus finishes up what he was working on, and decides to head downstairs. He smiles falsely, talking to guests briefly, trying to get them to go upstairs.

Janus frowns, noticing he’s all out of pies. He goes back to the crowd, nodding at Thomas to go chase off the beggar man again.

“We’re all sold out. Come again tomorrow!” He pauses, seeing Remus lead a man upstairs. Remus turns to give Janus a secret smile before opening the door and bringing the client into his shop. “Actually, we just got fresh supplies!” The crowd cheers, giving compliments and thanks.

Janus smiles genuinely after a while, leaning against the doorway as he watches everyone. Finally, things are turning around for the better. His gaze turns sour when he spots the beggar man again, though.

“Thomas!”

Why can’t he leave them alone?

★★★

Remus sighs, sitting in his barber chair. He’s all alone, no one else around as he smokes a cigarette. In his hands is a small photograph, old, but still one of his favourites.

The image is of Logan, holding baby Virgil in his arms. Next to them is Remus, pulling funny faces.

★★★

_ "Remus, maybe we should try another day. Virgil does not seem fond of cameras." Logan notes, gently swaying with his son, who is still crying from the flash.  _

_ Remus bites his lip before getting an idea. It might not work, but there was no harm in trying. Right? _

_ "Let me try. If he still doesn't like it, then we'll go with your plan." He says, going back to behind the camera. Logan looks down at their son, and after a moment of consideration, nods. That's all the confirmation Remus needs to set the timer.  _

_ Then, in a flash, he moves back to stand with them. But this time, he sticks out his tongue and rolls his eyes back. Virgil looks like he's about to cry again, but before Remus can stop, he starts giggling.  _

_ The camera flashes and captures the perfect moment. _

★★★

Remus gently rubs the pad of his thumb on his husband and son’s faces, noticing that his boys had the same sparkle in their eyes. For a moment, he wonders what Virgil looks like now. Did he still take after Logan, or did he start getting some of Remus’s features?

But then he stops that train of thought because he might never know. And it's all because of Patton and Remy. And every other person who ever stopped them from being together, as they should have been.

_ Make them pay. _

He will. He will make them all pay greatly for what they did. He will torture each and every one of them for as many seconds as he had to be apart from his loves. And then, he will enjoy killing them, slowly, without any form of mercy. As they have killed him by killing his love and not allowing him to watch his son grow.

He sighs tiredly and goes to greet the next victim.

★★★

Roman rushes through the city streets. He lost sight of the cab an hour ago. So now, he’s on his own. He starts in the area of wealth but begins going further. Slowly, making his way into the darkest parts of London. 

He doesn't feel safe here. Everyone glares at him like they could and would kill him at the slightest opportunity. But when he imagines how Virgil must feel, he gains new courage. 

“Don’t worry, Virgil. I’ll find you and bring you back safe. Don’t worry.” He murmurs to himself, wishing it were true. But at this point, Roman isn't sure if he’ll ever find his love.

And yet, he keeps walking.

★★★

“Tell me, Virgie. Do you have his wit? Do you have my strength?” Remus murmurs to himself. The man in the barber’s chair looks confused, but not for long, as Remus kills him. 

Then, he pulls a lever on the side of the newly adjusted chair. It becomes a slide, sending the body down a chute. He pulls the lever again, and it returns to its regular position. 

“I wish I could see you. Just once, to hear your voice. I wish I could tell you how much he loved you. More than anything.” He sighs, washing the blood off his hands.

“Maybe one day, but for now, we must wait.” 

★★★

Outside, the sky is turning dark and grey with smoke. Roman continues on, making his way down a dark alley. Then, past a graveyard. Only one person is there, openly weeping. 

He shivers, feeling the cold in his bones, but he does not pause for a moment. It's been hours, and yet he goes forward because he has to. He needs to.

He needs to find Virgil. He needs to bring him home.

★★★

Remus kills another person, sending them down the chute. When he turns around to change razors, he notices the sky has grown dark outside. Logan's favourite time of the day, or at least it used to be. 

Curiously, he takes a step towards the window. At that moment, a shooting star goes by. 

★★★

_ Logan hums, bouncing Virgil on his hip. When he turns, he notices a shooting star outside. Quickly, he crosses over, pointing at it. _

_ “Look, Virgil. It’s a Primula sect. Dodecatheon.” Virgil looks up at him with wide purple eyes before making grabby hands at the sky. Remus chuckles, walking over to take Virgil in his own arms. _

_ “You can’t have it, Vee. I’m sorry.” He coos. Then, he turns to Logan, raising an eyebrow. “And call it a shooting star, Lo. I can’t tell half the stuff you’re saying already. I don’t need the both of you turning on me with some weird nerd language.” Logan cracks a smile, hiding it with a hand.  _

_ “If you listened to me during our star watches, you would know the names of these things.” He teases. Remus groans dramatically, throwing his head back. _

_ “I don’t listen one time, and-” He protests, but he's cut off by the most beautiful sound in the world. Logan and Virgil, giggling with pure happiness. _

_ God, he would do anything to make that noise last forever. _

★★★

“Sir, we must leave the city. There’s a fire, a terrible fire. Fire, fire, fire.” The beggar man says, pointing at the smoke. Thomas looks up, watching as thick black smoke pours out of the chimney. He turns back to say something, but the begger man is already gone.

He has a horrible feeling in his gut about all this.

★★★

Roman moves past another street, turning a corner, before stopping. The building ahead of him is a madhouse, with high walls. He considers it for a moment, then nods.

Something tells him that this is the place.


	8. Home By The Seaside (Only A Dream For One Of Us)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janus wants Remus to share a future with him, but Remus is more focused on revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings include mentions of asylum, revenge, murder, practically anything in the tags. Let me know if I should add anything else! 
> 
> Technically I don't have to post this I suppose, but I didn't want to fall too far behind so I just pushed for two updates this week. This is honestly one of the easiest stories for me to write anyway, so I decided getting it done wouldn't take long, and it definitely wouldn't hurt. I hope you enjoy!

The day is bright, warm rays beaming down on Remus and Janus as they lay on a picnic blanket on the grass in the park. Around them, they can see and hear couples walking by with dogs and babies, and sometimes even picnic baskets of their own. 

In the distance, Janus can see Thomas running around with his kite, chasing it in the grass. He watches the boy with a soft smile as he continues to tell Remus all about their future. The one he built for himself and Remus in his mind. He thinks Remus is paying attention, as he’s smiling to himself as well, but the other is far too busy thinking about revenge. 

“I think a few more plants could liven up the shop a little. I’ve always been told they provide oxygen, you know? So they bring a little bit of life, and honestly, we need that with all the people we-” Janus pauses, looking over at Remus as he notices the other hasn’t spoken in a while. “Are you listening to me?” He asks. Remus stares up at the clouds, nodding a little.

“Of course.” He says, his reply automatic, as he wasn’t actually listening. Janus raises an eyebrow, not buying it.

“Well, then what did I just say?” He asks. Remus hums, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.

“There must be a way to get to Patton.” He says. Janus huffs, crossing his arms as he sits up.

“That’s the only thing you want to talk about, anymore!” He snaps, quickly cooling down after a few moments. He leans over to brush a lock of hair behind Remus’s ear. He doesn’t move or even blink, not registering the gesture at all. 

“We have a nice little shop with good money, only using strangers that won’t be missed. Who's going to catch on?” Janus asks, more to himself than Remus. Remus doesn’t answer, anyway. Janus sighs, and lays back down again. He moves a little closer and presses a kiss to Remus’s cheek with a smile.

“Oh, Duke.” He kisses his cheek again. “I’m so happy.” Then again. “I could..” He kisses him again. “Eat you up, I really could! You know what I would like to do, Duke?” He asks, kissing him once more. “What I dream-” Another kiss. “If the business stays as good as it is. Where I’d really like to go.” He pauses, waiting for a response only to receive nothing. “In a year or so.” He sighs, studying Remus’s blank face. “Don’t you want to know?” He asks.

“Of course,” Remus replies, keeping his eyes on the clouds above, not that he was focusing on them either.

“Do you really want to know?” Janus asks, excited to share all his ideas with the love of his life. Remus forces a smile, clearly not in the mood, but whatever kept Janus happy. If he was talking, that meant Remus didn’t have to. He would be free to get lost in his imagination for a while.

“Yeah, I do. I’d like to know.” He says, going back to zoning out.

“Well, I always wanted to live by the sea. I got an old postcard from my Aunt once, and I’ve adored it since.” Janus says, looking over at Thomas again. “It would be good for the boy’s lungs too.” He smiles, turning to look up at the clouds like Remus appeared to be doing.

“Think about it, Duke. You and I, in a house all alone by the sea.” 

“Anything you say,” Remus mumbles, not paying attention in the slightest. 

Janus closes his eyes to picture it. A little house by the shore, with Thomas messing around in the sand. They could sit together, and Remus wouldn’t be distracted by all the nonsense of this town, and Patton, and Virgil. They’d be free.

“I can see us walking down the boardwalk with some seagulls in the air. We’d stop for some biscuits and tea at a shop somewhere. Then I’d make a sweater, while you write a letter. Think of how warm it’d be to lay in bed together, with the TV playing for us.”

“Anything you say,” Remus repeats.

“Don’t you love the weather by the sea? We’ll grow old together, make a life together, by the sea.” He sighs, letting his mind think of all kinds of ideas. “A seaside wedding, now that would be something. Nice and proper, I suppose, although you could bring your razors if you wanted to.” He laughs, turning to look at Remus again. His smile fades as he looks him over, seeing him so silent. He doesn’t seem to care with that blanket expression, but he will. Janus is sure of it. 

He just needs a bit of time. 

★★★

Remus stands at his usual spot, looking out the window, down at the street below. Always thinking, now, of revenge. Janus sighs when he sees him, walking over to him with a plate of food. 

“I brought you some breakfast, dear. Eggs, and bacon, only the best for my…” He trails off, noticing that Remus wasn’t listening to him. He was still looking away, out the window, obsessed over hurting Patton, and Remy, and anyone that caused harm to Logan and Virgil. Couldn’t he look at Janus for once?

“Duke, can I ask you something?” Janus says, after a moment of consideration. Remus doesn’t turn to him, he only shrugs, letting him know he would listen. “What did Logan look like?” Janus asks. 

Then, for the first time in hours, Remus turns to him, something in his eyes that was different. A kinder look, almost, as if remembering his love. Why couldn’t he look at Janus like that?

“He had the kindest eyes, hidden behind dark frames. Dark hair, slick with some sort of gel he always used. Too much, I’d tell him, but he’d say he likes to look professional.” A small smile makes its way onto his face as he looks somewhere behind Janus as if remembering better times. When he looks at Janus again, his smile drops, and he turns to look out the window like always. Janus sighs, carefully walking over to him.

“You have to forget about him, now. He’s gone, and if you keep pretending otherwise, life is going to pass you by.” He says. Remus doesn’t answer. “We could have a life for ourselves, maybe not as I dreamed or you remember, but we could make it work.” He continues. His voice is calm, but his eyes are desperate. Remus ignores him.

“Come away from the window,” Janus says. A long beat passes, and Remus turns as if he was actually considering the thought. Janus’s heart skips a beat. Finally, he would go back to normal, and they could have a family, and everything would be- 

There’s a knock on the door downstairs, followed by footsteps. Remus turns to look at the door but pays no attention to Janus as it swings open. Roman rushes into the room, looking exhausted as he collapses on the chair. 

“Duke, Janus, god it feels like I haven’t slept in forever, but it’s done.” Remus raises an eyebrow, wondering what he meant by that.

“What’s done?” He asks. Roman tenses, sitting up straight as an angry look crosses over in his eyes. 

“He put him in an asylum.” He says, his tone bitter as he looks away. He knows Patton is some kind of villain, but he’s still processing how anyone could do that. It’s not like the ones he’s heard of in other places, this one is much crueller. Anyone who goes there is as good as dead for the most part.

“You found Virgil?” Remus asks, quickly crossing over to him. Roman sighs, running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, but there’s no way you can even get in. It’s impossible.” He says. Remus waves a hand, dismissing those thoughts. They can’t have any negativity, they need to stay positive, they need to get Virgil back. He begins to pace back and forth, trying to think of possible solutions. He stops after a moment, his eyes lighting up as if he had won the lottery. 

“Duke?” Roman asks, concerned. Remus turns to him, rushing over. He grabs him, lifting him up, and presses their foreheads together as he speaks.

“The wigmakers always get their hair from the asylum, right? So all you have to do is pretend to be one of them. Then you’ll be able to get into the building, and find Virgil.” Roman nods, frantically, ready to do anything to get Virgil back. “Good, bring him back safe.”

Janus watches with a confused look as Remus pulls Roman into a hug. It only lasts a minute, before Remus is pulling away again, rushing off to get some money. He comes back after a few moments and thrusts it into Roman’s hands with a grin. This plan could actually work. He could see Virgil again. 

“Get yourself an outfit as they would wear. You can find it at any clothing shop, it’s not too difficult. Just don’t mess it up, kid. We only have one shot at this, but you’ll do great. I know it.” Remus says, beginning to feel and sound like himself again. Roman takes his hand, shaking it as he tries to express his joy. 

“Duke, how can I ever-?” Roman tries to ask, but he’s cut off by Remus leading him over to the door.

“Go!” He says.

So Roman does, hurrying down the stairs, and out the front door.


End file.
